Millennials – Women Across Generations

In celebration of TechWeek24, we’re excited to share the next stories in our Women Across Generations series with our Millennials, Vanessa Leite and Esther Wafula.

Vanessa Leite, Executive Council Member TechWomenNZ and Principal Strategy & Consulting at CyberCX

Vanessa is a Senior Information Security Expert with over 10 years of experience managing cyber security programs and operations, as well as leading security architecture design and reviews.

Alongside her professional experience, Vanessa is also an Executive and Council member for TechWomen NZ and volunteers at the Kapiti Women’s Refuge centre. Above all, Vanessa is a compassionate individual with a passion for continuous learning.

What is your generation and how do you identify with their top five traits? 

I am a millennial, and probably a very typical one. They say millennials are about social gatherings, passionate about learning, love challenging the status quo, value diversity and inclusion, and seek meaningful work. I think I do align with most of these traits. I like to think I am approachable, honest (actually overly and unnecessarily honest sometimes), helpful, and fun. I don’t take myself and my mistakes too seriously, and I am confident in my abilities. I guess what I am trying to say is that in between my generation and my own personality, there is a mix of authenticity and a willingness to learn and laugh at myself, which seems to be a very millennial thing.

What technology job do you do today? Tell us a bit about your day-to-day life.

I am a cyber security professional, and I’ve been working in this field for around 15 years now. Currently, I hold the position of “Principal Security Consultant” with a consultancy firm in NZ. My current role involves assisting organisations in developing cybersecurity strategies, which includes understanding their current capabilities, assessing their threat landscape, and devising a plan of action to enhance their security posture. Having worked across various areas of technology and cybersecurity, from technical to management roles, has provided me with the practical knowledge and experience to effectively support organisations in their cyber security journey. And I enjoy doing just that.

What inspired you to pursue a career in technology?

My previous boss, who is now a dear friend of mine, Nina, was the one who inspired me. She was my boss at a healthcare company back in Brazil, and at the time, she was pursuing a bachelor’s course at university called “Information Security”. I knew nothing about it, but she always talked about it with so much passion and excitement that when I had the money and means to enter university, I chose that course. And I loved it. I learned about coding, networking, penetration testing, law, governance, and so many other things that later became my day-to-day. People often say what they learned at university isn’t exactly what they see and do in their daily work lives, but for me, it’s the opposite. Everything I learned at university is pretty much what I have been doing for the past 15 years.

In your early career, what were some of the perceptions or stereotypes about women in technology?

In my generation, diversity was still a big issue, at least in my context. I was one of the few women pursuing my degree, and the same was true in the workplace. The main stereotypes I remember hearing were that “women were not good at technical stuff” and that I was probably going to excel in “management and governance”. Similarly, one of my professors at university gave a talk about the fact that as a woman, I would need to prove myself because it was a male-dominated area. Although he was trying to do the right thing by warning and preparing me, and he did so with the best intentions, that conversation was a symptom of a complex issue. An issue that we still face today, and in many other areas of our lives: the double standard. When the achievements or failures of a woman are measured differently than those of a man.

How did your educational background or experiences shape your entry into the technology industry?

I come from a very traditional technology background. I pursued a technical course in “informatics” (as they called it back then) during high school and later, obtained an “Information Security” degree at university. Besides a few early jobs in factories and supermarkets when I was very young, most of my career has been in technology roles. However, when I decided to pursue the course in technology (before university), I “knew” I’d hate it. I always heard that technology was for boys playing games, and that wasn’t me. Until I started the course, I’d never owned a computer or a video game. Coming from a humble working family, we just didn’t have the means. But I had to do something that would be helpful in the future, and my mom said that working with computers would provide good money. I was smart (not an A student, but good enough) and got a scholarship for the technical course. I was 100% sure I would hate it, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. I loved it. And here I am still today.

What are the views of your peer group on women in technology and leadership? What general conversations are you having about this?

The views and conversations revolve around the realisation that we are still far from where we should be. There is a shared feeling that we have been stagnant and haven’t seen much improvement in the last 10 years or so. This issue is not limited to technology and leadership careers but extends to other areas and domains such as domestic violence and human rights. Women still earn 16% less than men on average, 1 in 4 girls aged 15–19 has experienced physical and/or sexual violence, and at the current rate, gender equality in the highest positions of power will not be reached for another 130 years. We all need to do more for our women and girls.

What changes have you observed or experienced regarding gender diversity and inclusion in technology since you began your career?

I think there is a better understanding that technology isn’t just about boys playing computer games or coding, and as such, more women are willing to pursue a career in technology. But I don’t think this is sufficient, nor the change I expected to see 15 years after I began my own journey. There are several reasons for this, including the fact that girls in schools don’t have enough exposure to technology or other similar subjects. Additionally, the system is flawed and biased, and organisations are just not doing enough. The top reason why women leave companies, according to a CNBC Women at Work Survey in 2023, is due to a lack of career growth opportunities.

What do you think are the most significant opportunities for women in technology today, compared to when you first entered the industry?

Well, we need diverse points of view. We can’t create technology products with the viewpoint of only a specific group of people. Some organisations are beginning to appreciate this and are developing internal initiatives to attract, retain, and grow women and other diverse groups of people. So, this can be an amazing time for women to pursue careers in technology. Additionally, we have fun, super interesting, and important technology being developed, which would be exciting to be a part of. There is also more flexibility, different career options, and a need for diverse backgrounds, which can provide opportunities for a range of women from different areas. When I first started, there was an implicit mandate of having a certain technical background to work in tech, but today this is increasingly seen as not the case.

How do you think initiatives like ShadowTech could have helped you on your journey?

If I had any exposure to technology, or if I could have seen what working in tech was like, I probably wouldn’t have just stumbled into the industry by chance. I might have actively chosen it. That would have been a game changer for me and many other women. Women who, when I discuss my current job, express a desire that they had pursued something in the tech field, especially those with young kids who need flexibility, the option to work from home, better salaries, etc.

Having witnessed the ShadowTech project firsthand, I can attest to its benefits for girls who may not have considered a career in tech, as well as for those who already aspire to it. It can validate and reassure them that a career in tech can be both enjoyable and rewarding.

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Esther Wafula, Senior Information Security Consultant, ANZ

Esther is the Senior Information Security Consultant with ANZ Bank New Zealand with experience across East Africa and New Zealand. She is a Computer Engineering graduate from Kenyatta University. Esther comes from a small town in Western Kenya called Kitale, and she worked across several countries including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopian and Aotearoa. Esther  currently serves in the ISACA Board as Membership Director and CISA exam coordinator. She enjoys her role as well as providing mentorship to the young women in technology.

What is your generation and how do you identify with their top five traits? 

 I belong to the Millennial generation. Among the Millennial traits that I may identity with is

• Curiosity – I have a great passion for learning about the world around me so I set goals in order to grow in my personal and professional life.
• Expressive – I am able to confidently express myself, sometimes the opinions may be different from conventional ideas, but I am okay to express myself.
• Collaborative – I love collaborating with people, be It at work or in my personal life, like workouts etc. I enjoy doing things with people as a team.
• Empathetic – I have a big heart for social justice and connect to people in their different positions.
• Optimistic – I am passionate about life and know things get better.

What technology job do you do today? Tell us a bit about your day-to-day life.

Currently , I am  a Senior Information Security Consultant with ANZ Bank. The role mostly entails providing advisory to different projects in the bank to ensure the bank is protected. Every day is different as you are not able to tell which project you will be involved with. All in all it’s very exciting as the work is diverse, challenging and there’s much to learn every day.

What inspired you to pursue a career in technology?

I had an interest in technology after completing my degree in Computer Engineering, I never wanted to do anything else. After graduating, I barely knew anything about Cyber but I had a big passion for networks. At the time I was a Data Analytics Intern and I asked the Cyberteam to allow me to shadow them in their work, I never looked back.

In your early career, what were some of the perceptions or stereotypes about women in technology?

One of the stereotypes I have had is that a woman cannot be “technical at all or not technical enough”. This is a stereotype that has pushed so many women from embracing opportunities that they could really excel in. Another one is it’s not possible or it is too late to make a career change into technology. I disagree with that, it’s never too late to make a move into technology.

How did your educational background or experiences shape your entry into the technology industry?

During my university degree I researched a lot about networks as I had a great interest in it. I didn’t know the knowledge would come in handy when starting my Cyber Security career. This helped me so much when I was doing penetration tests as it’s been one of the biggest foundations in my career.

What are the views of your peer group on women in technology and leadership? What general conversations are you having about this?

We all tend to agree that women are underrepresented in technology especially in leadership. We see statistics supporting this concern. There is quite a long way to go for many organisations to bridge this gap and have a gender balance for women in tech and leadership.

What changes have you observed or experienced regarding gender diversity and inclusion in technology since you began your career?

The biggest change is  the uptake of technology by women has significantly increased compared to when I started. Additionally there is more information in the form of online courses, forums and certifications  to upskill compared to when I started.

What do you think are the most significant opportunities for women in technology today, compared to when you first entered the industry?

There are very many opportunities out here in New Zealand. There’s an increasing number of women who have been in the field providing mentoring opportunities. You can be part of a community of women in tech like TechWomenNZ, where one can plugin and grow, share knowledge and challenges too. 

How do you think initiatives like ShadowTech could have helped you on your journey?

ShadowTech is the dream of any young lady keen to join technology. If I ever had the privilege of being under ShadowTech I know my career  journey would have been easier, I would have someone more experienced to provide mentorship which is key. I believe my career would have started at an “Informed“ point compared to when I started trying to figure things out on my own. ShadowTech is doing great things for our girls.